Document WO 2009/056277 A1 discloses a double seat valve with a seat cleaning function and a method for cleaning the double seat valve with a seat cleaning function.
Document DE 689 16 823 T2, a translation of the European patent filing EP 0 332 806 B1, discloses a valve to control the flow of a sterile liquid and a feeding and cleaning device with such a valve. Steam can be introduced into the system disclosed in this document, for instance for sterilization, when the processing steps are suspended.
Document DE 42 43 111 A1 discloses an aseptic double seat valve device, document EP 0 646 741 A1 discloses a leakage-free, switching double valve configuration, and document DE 10 2007 027 765 A1 discloses a double seat valve.
Double seat valves and/or double seal valves are known from the state of the art. For instance, they are used to fill liquid or viscous substances into containers. In particular in the area of aseptic applications and/or foodstuff filling, cleaning valves are typically arranged vertically to the longitudinal axis of the primary valve to clean the leakage space.
This arrangement has the outcome that the feeding cleaning valve may not fully drain and that for instance cleaning agent residue, such as for instance cleaning fluids, condensate, or similar can form deposits in the cleaning valve or at the discharge of the cleaning valve. Furthermore, a bellows that is located in the leakage space can be directly exposed to flow due to the vertical configuration of the rinsing valve to the longitudinal axis of the primary valve, potentially causing an additional load on the bellows and therefore reducing the service life of the bellows.
An object of the invention is to solve one or several of the aforementioned problems known from the state of the art.